FAQ
Many topics that have arisen about the tournament are posted here.
If you have a question that is not addressed here please contact our tournament director
Travis Young (traviarch@aol.com)
My school is not officially affiliated with ITF or ATFI, but we do teach traditional Taekwon-Do, and we use the ITF patterns. Would members of my school be eligible to compete?
Certainly you're eligible. Our patterns (forms) competition is based on the ITF forms, and so these are what you'll be judged on. This is what is generally most difficult for competitors coming from different backgrounds, since style is often a big consideration in judging patterns. In general the judges themselves are ITF practicioners, so that they are looking for certain elements like the sine-wave in patterns, which some non-ITF schools teach, but others do not. This is certainly not the only consideration, however, and you and your club will have a good chance of doing well.
Sparring is also subjective to some degree, and your group needs to be clear on the rules. If you happen to be in the Austin area, you are welcome to come to class a few times and learn. If you are not in the area, but there is an ITF school near you, you might ask the instructor if you could practice with him or her before the tournament.
Breaking is the least subjective. The boards will break or they will not.It seemed as though nearly everyone at last year's tournament was wearing a similar uniform. Are we be required to wear a specific type of uniform?
Essentially all we ask is that everyone wear *appropriate* attire, meaning a clean, well-kept uniform of their school. The similarity of the uniforms at our tournament is a by-product of the fact that the majority of our competitors are in fact from the same branch of ITF. But this is not necessary. The more white you wear, the less different you will look. The choice, however, is yours as to whether you want to look more or less different.
The hand pads we normally use are the type that have plastic finger loops inside, but basically wrap around the outside of the hand. Would we need to use something more like bag gloves, which completely enclose the hand?
The open-finger "Century" hand pads will be acceptable at our tournament. Too many people use them, so we do not enforce the closed-finger rule.
These open-finger pads are generally composed of thin padding, offering less of a buffer for the opponent (which could be you, if you're on the receiving end). In addition, if in poor condition, the plastic may become exposed, which can be particularly dangerous when striking the face, especially near the eyes. We therefore ask that all pads be in good condition. If you have not yet bought equipment, or plan to replace your old equipment, you might consider purchasing closed-finger hand pads.Are there events for juniors?
Our tournament is open to competitors of all ages, male or female. In particular this means that junior competitors are welcome, and in fact they generally comprise a significant portion of the tournament's competitors.
Are there competition brackets for junior black belts?
Yes, there are brackets for junior black belts. In fact, there is a junior black belt grand championship. Last year, this was won by a 12 year old.Are competitors given a pattern to perform, or may they perform a pattern of their choice?
Color belts get to do a single pattern of their choice. Black belts must be able to perform any of the first twelve patterns. They will be assigned a random pattern, and then will be able to perform a pattern of their choice.
What patterns are allowed in the competition?
We only permit standard ITF patterns in the competition. For reference, here is a short list:
Yellow Stripe = Chon-Ji Yellow Belt = Dan-Gun Green Stripe = Do-San Green Belt = Wan-Hyo Blue Stripe = Yul-Gok Blue Belt = Jun-Gun Red Stripe = Toi-Gye Red Belt = Hwa-Rang Black Stripe = Choong-Moo First Dan = Po-Eun, Gae-Baek, Kwang-Gae What sparring gear is required?
Basically *everyone* is required to use a mouthguard, headgear, footpads, handpads, and a cup if applicable. This is for everyone's safety. The only exception to this is that, for adult and senior black belts, the headgear is optional. Check also under Equipment in this FAQ sheet.
Is the sparring gear required to be of a specific color?
No. The fighters are marked red or blue by a piece of cloth attached to the belt before a given match. This is provided at the tournament.
Is there any optional sparring gear allowed (for example, shin guards or forearm pads)?
Shin and forearm guards are permitted, but only *soft* ones. No hard protection is allowed. In addition, no chest protection is permitted.
What style of sparring is used at the tournament?
Our sparring competition is conducted according to standard ITF rules. If you are coming from a different martial arts background, a few words about sparring rules are in order. Perhaps you use the same rules, but just in case you don't:
a. Sparring is semi-contact, meaning that *intentional* injury leads to disqualification.
b. Targets are from the waist up, midline *forward*. That is, there are no legal targets to the back of a line running from the armpit to the anklebone. The neck is not a legal target, though the head (excluding the back) *is* a target.
c. Only proper ITF techniques are allowed, and among these only those with hand and foot (e.g. no elbows or knees).Note again that our style is semi-contact, since our rules could easily lead to serious injury. Our primary interest is in running a safe tournament for all competitors, minimizing the number of injuries as much as possible. However, make sure you are clear on the distinction between "semi" and "light/soft". We practice the former, and that doesn't imply the latter (though of course no excessive force).